Archive for July, 2010

To our recollection, this actually hasn't happened in quite some time. To be exact, in 2008, when it was the original Kindle. And, even then, Amazon managed to make sure they told customers when the Kindle would be coming back around, or shipping to their doorsteps. Not this time. All Amazon says right now is that the Kindle is temporarily out of stock, and that purchasers will get an email when the eReader gets an estimated delivery date.

If you've got an apartment that has more than one bedroom, or it's anything bigger than a studio, then you probably won't need this (unless it just interests you that much). But, if you've got a cramped place you call home, then perhaps putting all of your appliances into one is exactly what you need to save on some space. That's where Moshi's kitchenette comes in. Designed for the smaller apartments out there, it's specifically created to bring together all of your most-used appliances.

The Chevrolet Volt is really, really real. It's no longer just a pipe dream from the auto manufacturer, and they're proving their point today by announcing that they've begun their ordering process in participating launch markets. Basically, you're preordering a car, but with as many other things you preorder at any given time in the year, what's a car? Then again, when's the last time you preordered something that cost $41,000?

Monsoon Multimedia are taking preorders for their Vulkano set-top box, which the company reckons can replace not only your TiVo but your Slingbox and Roku too. Basically a place-shifting streamer with optional DVR functionality and various smartphone clients for remote use over 3G/WiFi, the Vulkano also promises to keep pace with new STBs; the company has said they'll be releasing updates to add Google TV compatibility, among other things.

NVIDIA has outed its latest Fermi-based cards, the NVIDIA Quadro Plex 7000 array, and Quadro 6000, Quadro 5000 and Quadro 4000 GPUs, targeting graphics professionals that might weep in excitement over the fact that they're apparently up to five times faster for 3D applications and up to eight times faster for computational simulation. While most models are intended for desktop workstations, there's also the Quadro 5000M chipset for mobile workstations.

Amazon Germany has apparently begun cancelling Nokia N8 preorders, according to FinestFones, informing customers by email that while the retailer had attempted to source the smartphone in a timely manner, they had been unable to do so with the Symbian^3 smartphone. Interestingly, they also say that while they try to ensure their database is up to date, manufacturers sometimes change their release plans; it's unclear whether Nokia has been delayed in its release intentions for the N8, which many had expected sometime in August.

We were only talking about the US version of the Dell Streak this morning, and now comes news that the 5-inch Android tablet will go on sale tomorrow, Wednesday July 28th. The company's presales page has been updated, ending the registration process and announcing that would-be owners should "visit www.dell.com/streak tomorrow to purchase".

Apple's new Magic Trackpad brings to desktop users something they've been enviously eyeing up from their mobile counterparts for some time now: multitouch gestures. Basically a larger version of the multitouch trackpad from a MacBook Pro, the glass-topped slab hooks up to your Mac via Bluetooth and promises "months" of battery life and up to 33ft range.

Looks like we spoke too soon when we said the new 27-inch LED Cinema Display was Apple's last new product of the morning; they've also slipped out a new Apple Battery Charger, intended for use with battery-powered peripherals like the Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad. The Cupertino company reckons their new charger is "optimized" for their own batteries, though of course it'll rejuice any AA-sized NiMH cells you slot in.

In the box is the charger itself and six batteries, with Apple claiming up to a 10-year lifespan for them. Also making the whole thing a little more earth-friendly is the fact that it apparently has the lowest "vampire draw" (or standby power consumption) of "any similar charger on the market": just 30 milliwatts, in fact.

Apple's last update of the day is a new 27-inch LED Cinema Display, the bigger sibling to the existing 24-inch model. Packing 2560 x 1440 resolution and a 16:9 aspect ratio, the new Cinema Display uses an IPS LCD panel that offers 178-degree viewing angles; there are also 49W speakers (plus a subwoofer) and an integrated iSight webcam.